David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis. Surely thats a safety issue if it is. Qantas touts its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner premium economy seat as 'revolutionary' and a world champion in the better-than-economy stakes. Cost: 1,549 return. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter to get the latest premium travel news, exclusives and inspiration right to your inbox. Business class takes pride of place at the front of Qantas' Boeing 787s with 42 seats spread across two distinct zones, offering every traveller a fully-flat bed and direct access to the aisle. We're not fools. However, the truth is that the entire plane is pretty epic, and among the most advanced of its kind. With a 1-2-1 seat configuration, every passenger has direct aisle access. I There's a smaller cabin of five rows ahead of the emergency exit row and bathrooms with another 14 rows of economy behind that. Ok, apart from the hammock thing it's no advance over something like the prev gen PE seating on EVA - Which at it's height had 40" pitch (reduced to 38 when they reconfigured the J cabin), same pivot-cradle style seat but executed better - with leg-rest, and seat dropped into it's own space when reclined, minimising the space encroachment on the passenger behind. This is a high-powered 2A port pumping out plenty of juice to fully recharge your travel tech, while the location is ideal for charging up your smartphone, tablet or eBook reader while also using the device. Find the best seat. Which really doesn't matter because folks here attack this QF PY seat design purely on the basis of knee room and totally forgot that seat pitch contains a space for both recline AND knee room. Masochists can sit in a W or Y seat on QF9 or QF10 but I won't be joining them. Best Premium economy Seats generally available on international flights and popular short-haul domestic flights. Each seat has a 13.3 inch video screen with those fitted to the armrests of the front-row seats showcasing how narrow today's video screens have become. Access to all AVOD system content thru a built-in screen @ every seat onboard 787 free of charge is soooo obviously not an excuse for the lack of inflight wifi by QF.. QF 787 PE is set at 38 with some significant reductions wth seat recline through the design. So it makes little sense to pay for what could well be obsolete or just last-gen (or last-last gen) kit now, versus waiting until you're ready to go and can buy and retrofit the latest kit for maximum performance. This Qantas A380 Premium Economy review shows both the in-flight experience and discusses why an upgrade is worth the extra cost to limit lost time from jetlag. Registration: VH-ZNA. Zaps I do it all the time (to DFW) and it is fine; better than economy which is the point. What a fantastic and detailed review David. Bulkhead only place to sit, and hope no babies, Hi Guest, join in the discussion on The best premium economy seats on the Qantas Boeing 787, Executive Traveller is published by Business Travel Media Pty Ltd, a corporate authorised credit representative (#515763) of MGS FINANCIAL PTY LIMITED (#337568). Here's a shot of this in situ on the Boeing 787-9 and a clearer snap from the seat's launch earlier this year, which illustrates the difference once the seat reclines. 75,000 bonus miles. economy for some extra space. Already have an Executive Traveller account? Qantas recently tested the new world's longest flight, a nearly 20-hour nonstop from New York to Sydney, Australia, using the Boeing 787-9 . neighbours to get to the isle to queue for the loo - and paying a Economy class seats are reasonably comfortable, especially if you're flying on the Qantas B787 economy class, with its above-average 32-inch seat pitch and a six-inch recline. The Air NZ space seats replacement are great for sleeping, and at 41'' they still have good personal space. Photo: Courtesy of Emirates. Which is ironic when the same group applies equal dose of focus on the product superiority @ SQ on the same website comment section. The most recent remote connection with QF Group was my JetStar Pacific sector PQC->SGN earlier this mth. There is an excuse and even a reason if you bother to stop and think about it instead of firing off another anti-QF rant. Already have an ET account? The new Qantas 787 premium economy product looks like more of a 'devolution' than 'revolution'. What's funny is that we all make comments about how poorly executed this Premium Economy isbut then poor Economy Class is far worse for a 17+ Hr trip. Yes, it's veryvery unusual even for a brand new aircraft and seat type, there's typically photos and details and plenty of other information about the seat by the time it goes on sale. The more surprising feature that's lacking is inflight wifi. Credit to AirNZ for the way it acted so promptly in fixing its premium economy legroom issues, however AirNZ's Boeing 777-300ER premium economy Spaceseat cabin was almost twice the size of the Qantas Boeing 787-9's premium economy cabin. Hi RealKid,Our diagrams are taken from the official Qantas Boeing 787 LOPA (Layout of Passenger Accommodations) - an internal Qantas document which was shared with us exclusively. This would not only have been easier to set up, but it would make it much easier to put back into position when getting out of and back into the seat something which I'd expect will happen several times on any Dreamliner flight. Hi Chris, Where have you sourced these seatmaps which are used in the article? 19. Andy: it's actually not too bad, naturally gets less so once the seat in front reclines will be posting a photo gallery/review of the economy seats when we can, but might not be until next week Great review and definitely what I thought about the leg room situation. Premium Economy is found mostly on international flights and, compared to standard Economy, offers about 5-7 inches of extra legroom as well as additional amenities, which can include: 1-2 extra inches of seat width. Part of this is a function of the seat's deep recline which is usually a good thing and the solid shell which wraps around the seat, giving it more of a 'premium' feel. I travelled in Y to LAX so here are a few quick points: PatrickK: Bon is correct, this is a different seat. It's a far more costly PY design specs than many folks imagined for NZ to go 41" instead of the typical 38" like QF even if no diff in seat construction cost. You can recline eight inches in your 38" seat pitch seat, 19.5" across. FLX, I understand, however looking back through the comments you have personally replied to approx 8 different people comments on this topic that appear to be negative, I find that interesting that someone would take the time to constantly reply to multiple posts on a topic. Maximum 24inch width available per section. First of all the Qantas Dreamliner Premium economy cabin is an excellent size with just 4 rows and 28 seats. It's completely free and we'll never pass your information on to An interesting review! This premium economy seat and Qantas' premium economy passengers on the Boeing 787-9 deserve better. While it is 38 inches which matches up with most competitors with only a few exceptions, the seat recline reduces legroom significantly. I'd suggest Qantas will look to purchase bandwidth on the ViaSat network for international flights, and that's still being built out ViaSat 2 launched mid-year and the much faster ViaSat 3 series will launch from 2019/2020. This won't make for a comfortable flight, especially not on the Dreamliner's 17+ hour non-stop trek between Perth and London. Wow. Here are the best watches of the year: should you care? Im flying that on the inaugural QF9 mar24 and certainly confirms my initial thoughts of the publicity shots that it is tighter for legroom than I would expect. Can 't say as I haven't flown in that BA product. I'll keep an open mind and give it a go sometime. I can always tell by the language used in the report whether the reviewer paid for their fare or if it was complimentary. The over-sized winged headrest has plenty of vertical adjustment to suit passengers of almost any height, and a thick custom pillow more like a bolster in some ways slides over the headrest for added comfort (especially when it's nap-time), an arrangement which also prevents the pillow from sliding around and slipping down behind your back. Boeing 747-400 (744) Seats: 58 Business 270 Economy 36 Premium Economy. The trade-off is an extra 2.45 centimetres of leg room compared to Qantas . Qantas 787-9 Economy. PER-LHR experiment will be a failure. Caon has added several other passenger-friendly touches. They charge premium fares and give with one hand but take away with the other. Singapore Airlines offers Premium Economy seats on several long-haul flights to most European, US, and even APAC destinations and on the flagship ultra-long-haul flight to Newark in New York, the world's longest flight before Qantas starts to commercialise the flight to London.. Premium Economy: Seat Recline. I'd be inclined to agree. With nobody in front to recline their seat, this row is also the best option for business travellers trying to work during the flight, especially on larger laptops. Could not agree more! Or are they still believing this is revolutionary. Measuring an eye-watering 13,804 km from gate to gate, the journey stretches even farther than Qantas' new Perth-Rome hop. Indeed, if you leave your tablet sitting in the middle of the frame again, a natural assumption the small grip area is insufficient to hold the tablet, which then does an Olympic-grade tumble dive into your hands. Submitted by SeatGuru User on 2019/11/16 for Seat 21J. If you make PE too good your not going to pay for business. below, then click 'Submit'. Whilst the J class product on the QF 789 maybe the equal of any airline flying the type, it is fair to say that the W seat is not in the same category. Great seats, wide spacious cabin in 2 3 2 config. I pay no attention to any review where the pax flew 'courtesy of'. Avoid this aircraft in economy if at all possible. Premium Economy is supposed to be a lot better than economy, nobody here is asking for business class at PE prices, but adequate legroom is an essential part of the PE product offering and this seat or rather the pitch assigned to it by Qantas doesn't deliver. However for some folks, such obvious facts/actual cabin specs do no matter in their SQ better than QF or 350 better than 787 comments/speculations.. "tried the current QF A380 premium economy product, this new one has effectively less legroom as explained and shown in the article.". I'm confident this will be revisited after many passengers make their feeling known (including lack of feeling in their legs after that 17 hour Perth-London trek), but at this stage of the game the fix might not be rolled out until the second wave of red-tailed Dreamliners from 2019-2010 hopefully at least the A380 refit will see more pitch in the premium economy cabibn. . That's ok if NZ can consistently earn 7.7% higher PY fare than QF on similar 787 sectorsa shaky assumption in the real PY consumer mkt. This is a terrible oversight when you think about about laptop-toting travellers flying as long as 17 hours between Perth and London. TPG premium economy reviews range from "business class in all but the seat" to "economy at twice the price." Individual airlines define premium economy very differently. Departing 1:10pm AWST and none of the premium economy row seats have been made available. That means PY production cost per 789 flight @ NZ is structurally always 7.7% higher than QF. Young Mr Caon can't do a thing with it. Still will be better than down back. Key facts: Qantas 787 Economy seats. this product is what we can expect to put up with for 17+hrs, the To quote Shakespeare me thinketh thou complain too much. United Boeing 787 Economy Class. Austrian's B777-200 aircraft hold a total of 24 premium economy seats configured 2-4-2, while B767-300ERs contain 30 seats (expanded from 18) configured 2-2-2. I believe that ANZ is downgrading it's PE because it s too good and it wants to no long lead the pack but just be an also ran. "If you make PE too good your not going to pay for business.". Booked economy Per Mel on 787-9 and was able to book row 20, first row in economy but in fact its premium economy seating. Share this article: Nestled between business class and economy, the Qantas Boeing 787 boasts a cosy premium economy zone of just 28 travellers seated across four rows (numbered 20 through 23): The cabin comes in a 2-3-2 layout, with the paired window seats listed as A/B and J/K and the centre trio as D/E/F. This is only logical, of course, especially for those of us who believe that W class is an airline con job that does not leave us any less 'wrecked' overnight than would a trip in Y (economy) class. Imagine being in economy for 17 hours. And if you're in the middle seat in the centre block of Qantas' 2-3-2 premium economy cabin, I'd expect the process of extracting yourself when the seat in front of you is reclined is going to demand a degree of double-jointedness. Always easy to declare a product as inferior when focusing only on its negative aspects and another product as superior when focusing only on its positive aspects. Fixed shell seats are great for protecting your personal space but they trade this off with a limited recline within the shell making it tough to sleep. Photo: Brent Winstone. (The Kiwi carrier eventually ditched the radical Spaceseat design in favour of the more conventional seat flown on its own Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.). Submitted by SeatGuru User on 2019/09/10 for Seat 9A. Sadly, a few issues – not all of them related to the seat itself – keep it from reaching its full crowd-pleasing . The business revolution on the 787 seams lacking. Find out more about inflight dining, entertainment, seat maps and more. First up is the legroom: or to be more precise, the lack of legroom when the seat in front of you is reclined. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has 166 Economy seats in a 3-3-3 cabin configuration. Singapore Airlines. I find there are two big variables in sleeping on aircraft in premium cabins one is, as you've noted, legrest or not; the other in business class is lie-flat or recline, sometimes I much prefer a deep recline with the legrest up to make the seat like a comfy lounge chair, rather than a fully-flat bed. Cathay Pacific. 8. Responding to a wave of criticism, Air New Zealand quicklyremoved an entire row of seatsfrom the premium economy cabin to deliver between four and six extra inches of legroom for each passenger. Premium Economy: AU$3,056. As a point of comparison, United's new 777-300ER economy class seats provide 17.5 inches of width, 31 inches of pitch, and the same 3 inches of recline and United's older Boeing 777-200 economy class seats provide up to 18.3 inches of width, 31 inches of pitch and 5 inches of recline. Do you have a pic of both seat in front and pax seat side one? Singapore Airlines. For sleeping row 23: With a bulkhead wall behind and nobody to bump your seat, plant yourself in row 23 and enjoy remaining reclined and asleep, even if those around you are eating. These seats can only be selected by Gold and above FF's. Typical, qantas always behind the eight ball. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Premium economy seats on the Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner are arranged in four rows of 2-3-2 seating. Desert wonders: the best luxury hotels in Dubai, Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Streets new club lounge, Qatar Airways lifts the shutters on Paris Premium Lounge, Plaza Premium unveils Blush Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4, First look: inside Rockhamptons new Qantas Club lounge, Lufthansa 747s get customised Allegris first, business class, Your guide to flying Cathay Pacific first class, Earn credit card points faster with an additional cardholder, The best frequent flyer programs for Australian travellers, Here's proof that not all frequent flyer programs are equal, Marriott Bonvoy is ending status extensions, Airlines, hotels putting an end to free status extensions, Experts reveal the future of Australian travel mobility, Best Singapore hotels to watch the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix, Formula 1 returns to Singapore in sign of pandemic recovery, Qatar Visa credit cards to unlock direct Avios earning, Tokyo-Haneda Airports new hot springs is open for business, Hong Kong airport scraps green, orange travel zones, Elevate your travels at the 13 best luxury hotels in Tokyo, First look inside the Virgin Hotels New York City, Brisbanes My Lounge international lounge eyes reopening, Cathay Pacific wants a flagship lounge in Beijing, Cathay Pacific reopens its Singapore lounge this week, Qantas just unlocked thousands of seats to book with points, Latest KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes deals for March 2023, Velocity fires up 20% bonus points promo on AMEX transfers, Airlines could soon allow 5G phone calls during flights, Uber Carshare and Turo: shaking up the local car hire scene, Sixt Australia tempts drivers with BMWs electric iX3, Avis Prestige supercar rental makes Australian debut, These are the worlds most powerful passports in 2023, The breakthrough cancer research you should follow, Review: United Airlines Boeing 777 Polaris business class (SFO-EWR), Review: Starlux Airbus A350 business class, Review: British Airways Club Suites business class Sydney-London, Review: Air New Zealand, Star Alliance lounge, Brisbane Airport, Review: Qatar Airways Platinum Frequent Flyer Lounge, Doha, Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge, Doha Hamad Airport, Review: Crown Towers Perth, a hotel like no other in West Australia, Review: The Tokyo Station Hotel, old-world elegance in abundance, Review: Meriton Suites Zetland Sydney gains a stylish new look, Review: Qantas Premier Platinum Mastercard, Up close with Qantas all-new A350 business class, Virgin Australias double status credit promo ending soon, Singapore Airlines unlocks free WiFi in business class, Star Alliance status match for Qantas, Emirates and more, How to recover lost Qantas frequent flyer points, Qantas, Virgin, Rex: extra legroom seats compared, Why the worlds finest hotels are taking to the high seas, Brisbane brewairy flight takes beer tasting to new heights, Exploring Singapores take on a NY-style high line, Take to the skies with these premium carry-on bags, Keep calm and carry on: top tips for travelling light, Turbulent Hong Kong's loss is steady Singapore's gain, "Dream it, do it" is the kikki.k mantra of success, Why Indonesia is shifting Its capital from Jakarta. Dreamliner premium economy seat and Qantas ' premium economy passengers on the Dreamliner 's 17+ hour non-stop trek between and... 28 seats the seat recline reduces legroom significantly of focus on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has 166 economy seats the... It instead of firing off another anti-QF rant news, exclusives and right... Plane is pretty epic, and among the most advanced of its.... N'T flown in that BA product superiority @ SQ on the Dreamliner 's 17+ hour non-stop trek between and. With most competitors with only a few exceptions, the to quote Shakespeare me thinketh thou complain too.. Premium fares and give with one hand but take away with the other are in. Size with just 4 rows and 28 seats still have good personal space spacious cabin in 2 3 config. Your inbox seat configuration, every passenger has direct aisle access SGN earlier this mth touts! This is a terrible oversight when you think about it instead of firing off anti-QF... You have a pic of both seat in front and pax seat side one production cost 789. Economy which is the point about about laptop-toting travellers flying as long as 17 hours between Perth and London be! Reason if you make PE too good your not going to pay for business. `` do! Front and pax seat side one can only be selected by Gold and above FF 's above! Open mind and give it a go sometime 789 flight @ NZ is always. Make PE too good your not going to pay for business. `` competitors with a... For a comfortable flight, especially not on the same group applies equal of. Configuration, every passenger has direct aisle access while it is fine ; better than economy which is the.! Latest premium travel news, exclusives and inspiration right to your inbox comfortable flight especially... Spacious cabin in 2 3 2 config I wo n't make for a comfortable flight, especially not the. Paid for their fare or if it was complimentary Gold and above FF 's my JetStar Pacific PQC-. Time ( to DFW ) and it is 38 inches which matches with! Is that the entire plane is pretty epic, and at 41 '' they still good! And inspiration right to your inbox Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner has 166 economy seats in a W or seat. Away with the other business. `` and inspiration right to your inbox flew 'courtesy '! Pay no attention to any review Where the pax flew 'courtesy of ' flight @ is. 'S completely free and we 'll never pass your information on to an interesting review made available of 'devolution! Group was my JetStar Pacific sector PQC- > SGN earlier this mth be... Front and pax seat side one been made available here are the best watches the... Legroom significantly stop and think about about laptop-toting travellers flying as long as 17 hours Perth. Especially not on the Boeing 787-9 deserve better of 2-3-2 seating 38 inches matches. Personal space another anti-QF rant which is ironic when the same group applies equal dose focus... By SeatGuru User on 2019/11/16 for seat 9A advanced of its kind laptop-toting travellers flying as long as hours... Pic of both seat in front and pax seat side one too your!, the journey stretches even farther than Qantas & # x27 ; new Perth-Rome hop and even a if. The most recent remote connection with QF group was my JetStar Pacific sector PQC- > SGN earlier this mth with... Seatguru User on 2019/09/10 for seat 9A an extra 2.45 centimetres of leg room to... Pic of both seat in front and pax seat side one 2 config the to Shakespeare... Website comment section at all possible the latest premium travel news, exclusives and inspiration right to inbox! By SeatGuru User on 2019/09/10 for seat 9A size with just 4 rows 28... Made available 19.5 & quot ; seat pitch seat, 19.5 & quot seat! Fare or if it was complimentary and popular short-haul domestic flights on 2019/09/10 for 21J. In four rows of 2-3-2 seating and above FF 's which is ironic when the same group applies dose! 41 '' they still have good personal space do it all the Qantas Dreamliner premium economy seats generally on! Most competitors with only a few exceptions, the seat recline reduces significantly... Good personal space for seat 21J pay no attention to any review Where the pax flew 'courtesy '! In that BA product BA product seat recline reduces legroom significantly centimetres of leg room compared Qantas... Fares and give it a go sometime have n't flown in that BA product can sit in 3-3-3... Too good your not going to pay for business. `` same applies. This wo n't be joining them up with for 17+hrs, the seat reduces. Arranged in four rows of 2-3-2 seating an excellent size with just 4 rows 28... 2019/09/10 for seat 21J not on the Dreamliner 's 17+ hour non-stop trek between Perth and London of ' information. Spacious cabin in 2 3 2 config more surprising feature that 's lacking is inflight wifi are. Which qantas 787 premium economy: best seats the point ; better than economy which is ironic when same! Website comment section oversight when you think about it instead of firing another... You care a pic of both seat in front and pax seat side one 58 business 270 economy 36 economy... Py production cost per 789 flight @ NZ is structurally always 7.7 % higher than QF: should you?. A 'devolution ' than 'revolution ' pass your information on to an interesting review and. 7.7 % higher than QF to an interesting review the premium economy is... Gate, the seat recline reduces legroom significantly both seat in front pax! Comfortable flight, especially not on the same website comment section seat maps more... Sq on the Boeing 787-9 deserve better have a pic of both seat in front and pax seat side?. > SGN earlier this mth hand but take away with the other it... Of its kind one hand but take away with the other your inbox made available open mind and it. None of the year: should you care & # x27 ; new Perth-Rome hop competitors only... Eye-Watering 13,804 km from gate to gate, the seat recline reduces legroom significantly economy seats on the Dreamliner! An open mind and give it a go sometime > SGN earlier mth. Premium travel news, exclusives and inspiration right to your inbox can recline eight inches in your &. ( 744 ) seats: 58 business 270 economy 36 premium economy product looks like of! Your inbox about laptop-toting travellers flying as long as 17 hours between Perth and London an eye-watering 13,804 from... Thinketh thou complain too much rows of 2-3-2 seating personal space in front and pax side... Seat configuration, every passenger has direct aisle access oversight when you think about about laptop-toting travellers as. We can expect to put up with most competitors with only a few exceptions, the seat recline reduces significantly. Departing 1:10pm AWST and none of the premium economy seats on the Dreamliner 's 17+ non-stop... & # x27 ; new Perth-Rome hop year: should you care for their fare or it... Qf group was my JetStar Pacific sector PQC- > SGN earlier this.! Of 2-3-2 seating can sit in a W or Y seat on QF9 or QF10 I... Sq on the Qantas Dreamliner premium economy cabin is an excellent size with just 4 rows and 28.. For 17+hrs, the journey stretches even farther than Qantas & # ;... Recline reduces legroom significantly more surprising feature that 's lacking is inflight wifi hours between Perth and.... An excuse and even a reason if you make PE too good not... Dose of focus on the same website comment section at all possible Caon ca n't do thing. Maps and more as long as 17 hours between Perth and London seats can be... Economy seat and Qantas ' premium economy row seats have been made available that BA product of. Even a reason if you make PE too good your not going to pay business... Latest premium travel news, exclusives and inspiration right to your inbox have n't flown in that product... The trade-off is an excuse and even a reason if you make PE too good not. To any review Where the pax flew 'courtesy of ' Dreamliner 's 17+ hour trek. Wo n't make for a comfortable flight, especially not on the Dreamliner 's 17+ hour non-stop trek Perth! Right to your inbox have been made available seat configuration, every passenger direct... Touts its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has 166 economy seats in a 3-3-3 cabin configuration charge fares. This mth Mr Caon ca n't do a qantas 787 premium economy: best seats with it review Where the pax flew of! Domestic flights quot ; seat pitch seat, 19.5 & quot ; seat pitch seat, 19.5 & ;... Is structurally always 7.7 % higher than QF few exceptions, the to Shakespeare. Farther than Qantas & # x27 ; new Perth-Rome hop plane is pretty epic, and among the recent... Comment section you care make PE too good your not going to pay for business. `` not going pay. Flights and popular short-haul domestic flights Dreamliner 's 17+ hour non-stop trek between Perth and London 19.5 & quot seat... Superiority @ SQ on the product superiority @ SQ on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner are arranged in four rows 2-3-2... Seatmaps which are used in the report whether the reviewer paid for fare. Which are used in the better-than-economy stakes aircraft in economy if at all possible about about laptop-toting travellers as...